What happens when feminist body theory and reductionist theories of biological sex difference are brought together? In this work I take as my starting point the increasing ubiquity of appeals to biology as an explanation for ‘human’ and ‘woman’s’ nature on the one hand, and the reactive and reflexive distancing of biology within feminist body theory on the other, to begin to question the middle ground. I aim to constructively dissent from taking up either of these positions in order to confront the question: what if the reductionists prove to be, even partially, right? In acknowledging that possibility, I am interested in whether/where there is potential for feminist theory to be more relaxed about biologically sex differentiated attributes. I position myself as a women’s studies scholar taking a walk across the campus to see what evidence is being produced by ‘the opposition’. To place my walk in context, I first briefly explore various feminist approaches to the problem of biological sex differences, and the continuing difficulties surrounding binaries and binary thinking. Next, in the main part of the thesis, I review the historical and contemporary reasoning and claims made within three areas of reductionist science that are aligning at this time, and which have been reproached for promoting a return to a more biologically determinist social environment. I then take a brief excursion off campus to demonstrate the dangerous aspects of these scientific enterprises when their interpretation into popular culture is not carefully monitored. Finally, I return again to my own side of the campus to look at some of the ways feminists have already begun the work of overturning outworn and contested conventional theories about biology and human nature in conversation with reductionist theory. Having done this, was it worth the walk? My assessment is that while, in some cases, feminism’s defensive antiessentialism is warranted, there is work being undertaken within these reductionist sciences that is less rigid and reactionary than some critical interpretation would suggest. I conclude that there is a certain futility in feminist body theory’s oppositional stance to biology, and that its utility is put at risk by a continued investment in one side of a binary. Further, my walk across the campus leads me to believe that, while perhaps not imminent, there is every reason to expect that the scientific pursuit of an unequivocal genetic basis for specific sex differentiated behaviours will succeed. That being so, there are spaces where the insights of both sides might be productively brought together so as to avoid the worst excesses of biological determinism and, at the same time, loosen the grip of binary thinking on approaches to biology and the body.

Submitted by Ricardo Cedraz Duque Moliterno (ricardo.moliterno@uefs.br) on 2016-03-29T22:19:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??o M?nica Abreu.pdf: 4010420 bytes, checksum: 63c86e91c0fbaae67a82069259b9b62b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-29T22:19:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??o M?nica Abreu.pdf: 4010420 bytes, checksum: 63c86e91c0fbaae67a82069259b9b62b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-26 / Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia - FAPEB / The cities have become rich sites in different life forms, harboring a biodiversity hardly noticeable by people. The phenomenon of adaptation of wild animal populations colonizing the urban environment is named sinurbization. The sinurbization process is evident in the case of possums (Didelphis). These animals adapt easily to urban field and can be seen in the streets or on trees. This work aimed to highlight the phenomenon of sinurbization related to Didelphis, its occurrences and relations with people, in urban ecosystem of Feira de Santana (BA). The research was eminently qualitative being the relevant data analysed by means of quantification parsimonious represented only by descriptive statistics, graphic depictions and tables. Sampling was performed by non-probabilistic method, in part by resorting to the accidental sample type. 50 interviews were conducted, 32 semi-structure and 18 visually stimulated (it was displayed a photographic kit contains 10 photos for visual stimuli) with people living in the urban area of the city for more than three years. The road maps of interviews involved questions related to: geographical distribution and frequency of observation of animals, aspects of general biology, attitudes and beliefs of people front the possums. Were also conducted photographic records of traces found and direct sightings of animals, as well as a visual ethnography. Data were analyzed and systematized from the union model of multiple skills. Of the 41 existing neighborhoods in urban area, were verified occurrences of Didelphis in 23. In relation to the feelings of the participants, predominated the biophobia (46%), what was also demonstrated in the aggressive attitudes (56%) of respondents. The beliefs about the possums in the locality showed up to be discreet. The residents also showed knowledge about the morphology, reproduction, ethology and chronobiology of Didelphis. The use of possums in folk medicine was also cited by respondents. On the aspects of the diet of these animals, the category "birds" was the most cited by respondents. A visual ethnography demonstrated the fact that people feed on possums. On this basis, it is possible to say that a process of sinurbization of the possum (Didelphis) in the urban environment of Feira de Santana is doable and urban dwellers of this town have knowledge about the animal which largely corresponds to the scientific literature. / As cidades tornaram-se locais ricos em diferentes formas de vidas, abrigando uma biodiversidade dificilmente percept?vel pelas pessoas. O fen?meno de adapta??o das popula??es de animais silvestres colonizando o meio urbano ? denominado sinurbiza??o. O processo de sinurbiza??o ? evidente no caso dos sarigu?s (Didelphis). Estes animais se adaptam facilmente ?s ?reas urbanas e podem ser vistos em ruas ou sobre ?rvores. Este trabalho objetivou evidenciar o fen?meno de sinurbiza??o relacionada aos Didelphis, suas ocorr?ncias e rela??es com as pessoas, no ecossistema urbano de Feira de Santana (BA). A pesquisa foi eminentemente qualitativa, sendo os dados relevantes analisados por meio de quantifica??o parcimoniosa representadas apenas por estat?stica descritiva, representa??es gr?ficas e tabelas. A amostragem foi realizada por m?todo n?o-probabil?stico, em parte recorrendo-se ao tipo amostral acidental. Foram realizadas 50 entrevistas, 32 semi-estruturadas e 18 visualmente estimuladas (foi exibido um kit fotogr?fico contendo 10 fotos para estimulo visual) com pessoas que habitam a ?rea urbana do munic?pio h? mais de tr?s anos. Os roteiros de entrevistas envolveram perguntas relacionadas a: distribui??o geogr?fica e frequ?ncia de observa??o dos animais, aspectos da biologia geral, atitudes e cren?as das pessoas frente aos sarigu?s. Tamb?m foram realizados registros fotogr?ficos de vest?gios encontrados e de avistamentos diretos dos animais, bem como uma etnografia visual. Os dados foram sistematizados e analisados a partir do modelo de uni?o de diversas compet?ncias. Dos 41 bairros existentes na ?rea urbana, foram verificadas ocorr?ncias de Didelphis em 23. Em rela??o aos sentimentos dos participantes, predominou a biofobia (46%), o que ficou igualmente demonstrado nas atitudes agressivas (56%) dos entrevistados. As cren?as sobre os sarigu?s na localidade mostrou-se discreta. Os moradores tamb?m mostraram conhecimento sobre a morfologia, reprodu??o, cronobiologia e etologia dos Didelphis. O uso dos sarigu?s na medicina popular tamb?m foi citado pelos entrevistados. Sobre os aspectos da dieta desses animais, a categoria ?aves? foi a mais citada pelos entrevistados. A etnografia visual demonstrou o fato das pessoas alimentarem-se de sarigu?s. Com base nisso, ? possivel afirmar que o processo de sinurbiza??o do sarigu? (Didelphis) no ambiente urbano de Feira de Santana ? fact?vel e que os moradores urbanos desta localidade possuem conhecimentos sobre o animal que em grande parte corresponde a literatura cient?fica.